1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a snow blower. More specifically the invention relates to a snow blower that comprises wheels that are configured to adjust the height of the snow blower's auger shroud.
A snow blower is a device that is utilized for removing snow from a ground surface. The device includes a motorized unit, an auger, an auger shroud, skid shoes, and a chute for deflecting snow. During use, a user will walk or ride on the snow blower along a chosen path. The skid shoe provides a separation between the ground and the bottom of the auger shroud, thereby enabling auger to contact snow without contacting the ground. The snow enters the shroud and the auger sends the snow up the chute and is thrown in a desired direction. Continued use of the machine eventually clears a pathway and redistributes the snow in an area away from the pathway.
While the traditional snow blower is useful for its own purposes, the design has a few drawbacks. First, the use of skid shoes are only appropriate for contact with smooth surfaces, such as snow. The skid shoe is not capable of rotating during contact with a ground surface, and therefore the skid shoe causes excess friction against all other terrain. A user manipulating a user-pushed snow blower must lift the front end of a snow blower to avoid scratching or wearing down the skid shoe. Continued use on these surfaces would lead to the replacement of the skid shoes. After an area is cleared of snow the remaining surface would be absent of snow, which would lead to contact with an undesirable surface.
A second drawback of the traditional snow blower design is that the skid shoes lack height adjustment mechanisms. If, for example, a user wishes to clear a greater or lesser amount of snow, there are no readily available options to adjust the height of the auger shroud in relation to a ground surface. While the height of the shroud may be efficient for traveling over flat surfaces, the auger may contact grass, rocks, or foreign devices if the shroud is not raised.
Devices are known that attempt to remedy some of the setbacks of the design of a traditional snow blower. Some devices offer the attachment of wheels that enable a snow blower to traverse differing ground surfaces. Other devices provide height adjustment mechanisms. There are no snow blowers, however, that combine a wheel with a user friendly height adjustment mechanism.
The present invention, however, provides a height adjustable auger shroud for use with a snow blower. The shroud comprises a pair of wheels that enable a user to easily traverse varying terrains without worrying that comes with the wearing down of skid shoes. Additionally, the shroud comprises a height adjustable lever that facilitates the quick adjustment of the shroud height with a movement of the lever. The assembly mounts a skid shoe location on a traditional auger shroud and allows for a simple, durable, and height adjustable assembly that will not have to be frequently replaced. The assembly provides seamless operation between flat to uneven or gravel surfaces. It is submitted that the present invention saves time, money, and exposure to the cold elements that may otherwise occur with traditional auger operation without deploying the present invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to snow blower auger shroud attachments. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to wheel and height adjustment attachments on an auger shroud. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such prior art device, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0066553 to Light provides a snow blower with wheels that are configured to maintain an auger housing at a fixed distance from the ground. The wheels may be fixably secured to the side walls of the auger housing and may be secured at a chosen height on the housing. The prior art device, however, secures the wheel directly to the side of the auger housing, thereby requiring a separate securing aperture along the housing for each desired height adjustment. The prior art differs from the present invention in that it fails to provide an adjustable lever to readily adjust the distance between the auger shroud and the ground surface.
Another prior art device, U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,345 to Bearden, provides a lawn mower with a height adjustable wheel assembly. The adjustable assembly may replace either the front or rear wheels of the lawn mower. The assembly may have a mounting plate with a plurality of apertures. A pin or other securing device may be inserted through the apertures to secure the wheel at a desired height. The use of the assembly, however, requires an extension away from the housing, and further provides an opportunity to misplace, or provide for the loosening of the securing pin.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0189990 to Luhtanen provides a wheel attachment for an auger shroud housing. The wheels are made of a rigid material configured for cutting through ice and snow, whereafter the wheel may rotate on a hard surface. Additionally, the wheels may be vertically adjustable to regulate the distance between the hard surface and the cutting edge of the rotatable wheel. While the height adjustable wheel of the prior art is useful for its own purposes, the devices provides vertical adjustment by providing a plurality of vertical holes that each must be bolted separately to provide the height adjustment. The present invention, however, provides a singular attachment lever that may be easily moved to facilitate a change in distance between a ground surface and the auger shroud.
Another prior art device, U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,289 to Raftery provides a skid shoe for a snow blower. The skid is secured to the vertical side of an auger housing. The skid comprises a sliding surface adapted for traversing snow covered areas, and a rolling surface configured for traveling over a variety of terrain. The prior art device of Raftery, however, fails to provide a height adjustable wheel that is configured to prevent unwanted contact between the auger shroud and a ground surface.
Finally, U.S. Design Pat. No. D657,395 to Bauer provides a design for a wheel attachment for a snow blower. The design illustrates a horizontal plate with a plurality of holes configured for the bolting of a wheel thereon. The design, however, merely illustrates the attachment of a wheel and fails to illustrate the use of a lever for adjusting the height of an auger shroud in relation to a ground surface.
The present invention however, differs from the prior art in that the present invention is provides a user-friendly and convenient way to facilitate the changing the height of an auger shroud. Moreover, the present invention replaces the traditional skid shoe with a rotatable wheel. The present invention provides a user with a device that allows from easy transitions between ground surfaces and eliminates the need for constant replacing of worn down skid shoes.
It is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing snow blower auger shroud attachment devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.